“Government's
view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it
moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving,
subsidize it.” --Ronald Reagan

In
the perpetual battle of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ and
the left/right spitting match-rock fight, it is oftentimes too easy
for ideology and partisanship to overshadow reality. Both the “Us”
team and the “Them” team are rock solid convinced they are
right, the other guys are wrong and don’t want to confused with
any facts that contradict their preconceived opinions and prejudices.
Meanwhile, the nation is pretty evenly divided between mutually exclusive
polar opposites. The gospel according to the left and the gospel according
to the right do not synthesize and if there is any room for reasonable
compromise the disciples flat out reject it on principle (or stubbornness).

The
mantra of disciples of the left is “We won! Shut up already…”
The mantra of the disciples of the right is “We’re coming
back…”

This
petty partisan spitting match has been ebbing and flowing for decades.
Each side clings to the belief they are right and their opponents are
wrong. Compromise is anathema despite a growing abundance of facts in
evidence.

Despite
overwhelming empirical evidence that we cannot tax and spend our out
to prosperity, the Obama administration remains committed to making
a failed model work based on faith and hope.

There
is no constitutional basis for the Obama dream quest. There is no law,
and for sure, there is no statistical model to even suggest what the
administration wants to do can or would work. In fact, there is good
evidence that the policy direction embraced by Obama (which has already
been tried and implemented in some states) routinely fails.

Perhaps
my favorite P.J. O’Rourke quote is, “Giving money and power
to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.”
This time around the vehicle in jeopardy is nothing less than the country
and the potential fatalities are frankly “we the people”.

The
Wall Street Journal recently
published a perfect example (complete with those annoying facts,
details and statistics).
Basically the WSJ demonstrates how three states which have already embraced
(and implemented) Obama style progressive policies have suffered significant
negative consequences.

•
Once upon a time California, New York and New Jersey were, among the
most prosperous in the union. • How did three successful states snatch defeat
from the laws of victory? • They did it by implementing polices that Obama
is suggesting for the federal government.

I
can’t help but think of the old joke about the guy who goes to
his doctor and says, “Doctor, it hurts when I go like ‘this’…”
The doctor nods and replies “Don’t go like that.”

MBA
types are always ‘case studying’ models and preaching the
need to ‘test market’ concepts in a microcosm before rolling
it out into the macro. It is good advice and inevitably results in lessons
learned that can be replicated or mitigated before “going long”.
Hey, just read the WSJ numbers to see what happened to California, New
York and New Jersey. And the administration wants to replicate THAT
model for the nation?

Ideology
aside, the demonstrated realities of progressive governance, complete
with mega taxes subsidizing assorted flavors of welfare, enabled by
gutless (clueless) politicians and bludgeoned by public employee unions
is NOT the solution to our national challenges.

For
decades the once upon a time golden state was warned that tax and spend
anti-business practices would eviscerate small business and the middle
class. California politicians got the memo…but they never bothered
to read it. In fact, they went out of their way to ignore the dire forecasts.
The result has been businesses seeking less oppressive tax environments
in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona etc.

North
Carolina loves the obstinate myopia of those progressive states wallowing
in their own muck. The Raleigh-Durham Triangle is growing like California
‘used to’ once upon a time.

However,
whereas states have been free to experiment with models guaranteed to
drive away the tax base, Americans have had the luxury of being able
to bail on failed states for oasis-like North Carolina alternatives.

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Listen,
it is not a partisan bumper sticker or election finesse but a bona fide
documented fact that more government involvement results in increased
costs and reduced services. The ‘case studies’ of California,
New York and New Jersey document the negative results of the counter
intuitive brain flatulence proposed by the administration. If Obamaism
is mandated nationally, there will be no safe havens left in the country.
THEN we are really S.O.L. (simply out of luck?).

Ronald
Reagan articulated an axiom when he said, “Concentrated power
has always been the enemy of liberty.”

"Geoff Metcalf is a nationally
syndicated radio talk show host for TALK AMERICA and a veteran media performer.
He has had an eclectic professional background covering a wide spectrum
of radio, television, magazine, and newspapers. A former Green Beret and
retired Army officer he is in great demand as a speaker. Visit Geoff's